Service Map
Rate Hearing for Time of Use Rate Set for October 17 Light Board Meeting
Category: Uncategorized | Posted On: October 12, 2023
Background
One January 1, 2023, due to a huge spike in energy supply costs triggered by the natural gas markets, Belmont Light instituted a rate increase of approximately 13.2% for all customers except for those in the Time of Use Rate Pilot Program. At a time when customers of the major investor-owned utilities faced rate increases of 35-75%, Belmont Light did everything possible to minimize the effect on customers.
Among the rationales for excluding the Pilot participants from the rate increase was a desire to keep data-gathering from the Pilot stable before its presentation to the Light Board in July, and the limited number of participants was also deemed to not have a major effect on Belmont Light. Following Belmont Light’s presentation to the Light Board on the results of the Time of Use Pilot Program (view the meeting here), there have been discussions on the future of the Time of Use Rate in Belmont.
From these discussions, Belmont Light proposed, and the Light Board approved two actions to be taken immediately. One other action was proposed to be taken at a later time. The two immediate actions were:
- Update the TOU Rate to meet the January 1 rate increase to other rates.
- Open the TOU Rate Pilot to an additional 150 customers, for a total of 300.
The remaining, long-term action was to include Time of Use Rates into Belmont Light’s next Cost of Service to prepare for a permanent Time of Use Rate.
Proposed Updates to Time of Use Rates
Below are the proposed updates to the Time of Use Rate, including solar buyback credits.
| Summer TOU Charges (Per kWh) | ||
| Applicable June 1 -September 30 | ||
| Current | Proposed | |
| Customer Charge | $10.60 | $12.60 |
| Generation | ||
| On-Peak (1-7 PM Daily) | $0.27819 | $0.28501 |
| Off-Peak | $0.05538 | $0.05674 |
| Transmission | ||
| On-Peak (1-7 PM Daily) | $0.10152 | $0.11065 |
| Off-Peak | $- | |
| Distribution/Conservation | $0.07745 | $0.08146 |
| Total Energy (Summer) | ||
| On-Peak (1-7 PM Daily) | $0.45716 | $0.47712 |
| Off-Peak | $0.13283 | $0.13820 |
| Ratio | 3.44 | 3.45 |
| Non-Summer TOU Charges (Per kWh) | ||
| Applicable January 1 – May 30 & October 1 – December 31 | ||
| Current | Proposed | |
| Customer Charge | $10.60 | $12.60 |
| Generation | ||
| On-Peak (4-8 PM Daily) | $0.09513 | $0.09748 |
| Off-Peak | $0.06041 | $0.06190 |
| Transmission | ||
| On-Peak (4-8 PM Daily) | $0.12686 | $0.13826 |
| Off-Peak | $- | |
| Distribution/Conservation | $0.07745 | $0.08146 |
| Total Energy (Non-Summer) | ||
| On-Peak (4-8 PM Daily) | $0.29944 | $0.31720 |
| Off-Peak | $0.13786 | $0.14336 |
| Ratio | 2.17 | 2.21 |
| Solar Buyback Credits (Per kWh) | ||
| Current | Proposed | |
| Summer (June-September) | ||
| On-Peak (1-7 PM Daily) | $0.37971 | $0.39566 |
| Off-Peak | $0.05538 | $0.05674 |
| Non-Summer (January-May & October-December) | ||
| On-Peak (4-8 PM Daily) | $0.22199 | $0.23574 |
| Off-Peak | $0.06041 | $0.06190 |